Appearance: Rich deep dark copper with a light tan head that dissipates to a sticky lace.

Smell: Hints of caramel, sweet and toasted malt. Some spicy alcohol fumes and a trace of apple peel aroma.

Taste: Thick and huge stodgy malt, caramel, rounded toasted malt, sweet dextrins and grain lets through a twang of alcohol and a thin leafy hop. A remaining dextrinous toasted malt, a ever so fading hop leaf and drying grain are in the end.

Notes: Ahhh ... a meal in a bottle. Breakfast anyone? If beer is measured by its malt back bone than this is a body builder beer. 7.2 abv with a 12 month self life.

From a bottle: dark amber color, transparent. Prominent sweet smell typical of a dopplebock. This is one sweet malty beer: lots of caramel, brown sugar. Restrained hop presence. The beer is very viscous. From a bottle, I thought it was a bit flat and didnt retain its head very long. I initially tried this beer on tap and thought it was divine; the carbonation and head retention was excellent and the deep malty flavors perfect for the style. I have tried it in bottles afterwards and I think it is underwhelming by comparison. The first bottle had weird off metallic phenol flavors. The second wasn't obviously spoiled but didn't have the feel of the beer on tap. I think the bottom line is, this beer is pretty average in a bottle. Probably the style just doesn't store well. If you can find it on tap, go for it!

This beer takes on a rich flavor with a distinct malty taste. I enjoy it's chocolate and amber flavors. You get just enough without it being to overpowering. This beer also has a nice alcohol percentage of 7.2% which is just right for this style of beer, you tend to not notice the alcohol with the balance of the malt.

... and, this is really a very fine Dobbelbach. Brings back memories of Munich... anyway, pours a rich dark brown with a creamy 1/4" head. Rich sweet flavor; very smooth. This is just bond warming on a chilly autumn night. Would share this with friends or guests any day of the week.

dark dark brown color, almost black. This beer is delicious, but at times overwhelmingly alcoholic. I feel like this is the kind of beer Thor would drink as a night cap. Incredible German flavors and craftsmanship!

Cocoa flavor in the background, strong malt flavors. This has been my introduction into the world of doppel-bock. One of the most satisfying beers I've had the pleasure of drinking.
Contemplative, superb.

dark amber...actually reminds me of 12 year or older whiskey...nice creamy head that dissipates quickly

nose is not too assertive....bready caramel but a bit thin

flavor is full but mouthfeel less full-bodied (a bit more carbonated than i remember)...getting that lovely dark dried fruit preserves (raisins), bready/malty backbone that lingers a bit then fades fast...sure, the ABV is sensed, but very easy to drink....complex enough for what this is...an excellent example and a go-to for seasoned and newbies....

wait! hold the presses! i just felt something was missing...

i decided to pour the 3/4 that was left into a tall mega-pilsen glass...what a difference...skinnier, undimpled glass allows more light into this still very dark amber doppelbock...head lingers much longer and continues to lace as it slowly settles....nose stays the same...taste alters quite a bit, so am pleased to get more malt backbone, a more mellowed sweet dried-fruit marmalade note (actually a lemon-meringue instance, too)...so a citrus, oranginess comes through...the mouthfeel 'seems' less thin and the effervescence is not so distracting. interesting. still highly recommended.

Poured into an over sized wine glass Optimator is a delicious malty Doppel Bock with Caramel and toasted malt notes. Definitely a cooler weather brew. Not as good as Paulaner Salvator Double Bock though!
Still can't go wrong with Optimator!
Why don't any American or Californian's brew a Bock or Doppel Bock ? All the so called "Micro Breweries" think the more Hops the better. Adding more Horsepower to a car doesn't necessarily make it better unless you add bigger brakes, suspension etc...
I don't drink those "New Jack" beers that taste like my Dad made it at home. Unless I'm drinking his.

One of the first bocks I ever had,poured a nice rich brown color with foamy head.Smell was very sweet and alcoholic,taste was buttery and caramelly and creamy.Since trying more doppelbock's I noticed this was a little thin in the mouthfeel dept. but still a really well made doppelbock.

Appearance  This came out a dark brown in color with a beautiful, gorgeous head. The off-white head on that almost-black body in the football-style German glass was absolutely gorgeous.

Smell  The burnt molasses and dark lagered grain worked well together, although the overall aroma was dull even as the bier warmed.

Taste  The molasses was super-strong just as I like it. The grain was expertly lagered and very dark. The luscious sweets were sharp but not attention-grabbing. All together this was damn near perfect.

Mouthfeel  This was just shy of medium-bodied and not bitter but still had a sharp, strapping molasses bite.

Drinkability  I had this with a brat and bread at Prost in Seattle with my good friend skyhand and boy did it remind me of the Fatherland.

The double shovel means double trouble with Spaten's most dangerous beer. I can think of no better way to optimize my evening then with Z Optimator.

The Arnold Schwarzinager of beers, Z Optimator's strength is immediately apparant, both disgusting and delighting with its erste taste. Sometimes difficult to consume at first, as if your body is warning against its mighty conents, Z Optimator becomes smoother and more pleasing with each sip.

I can not recomend this beer enough to those who love strong and beefy beers that carry a bazooka for a buzz. I truely believe that there is something more to this beer then its high alcohol content. Consumers beware, this beer can lead to strange and unexplainable occuances and should be taken in cautiously.

I suggest splitting a 24 ounze bottle to begin an evening. Any thing more and you could be diving into a lake, half nude, in search of a cell phone that you thought fell out of your pocket. But oh wait...I don't even own a cellphone?

It wasn't one of my finer moments but how can the Univesity of Wisconsin sell such large pitchers for such a low price and not expect trouble?

I was making an Irish recipe that called for Guinness and being the rebel that I am I decided to try a different beer. I heard that Dopplebocks are strong beers so I figured it would be a good choice (this is my first Dopplebock). This beer got good reviews and it was cheap at my local store so I purchased it for the recipe.

I was a bit shocked to find out that this beer is not strong in flavor but it is in alcohol. I was actually REALLY surprised how smooth it was. I was disappointed for the recipe that I was creating because I was looking for something with a strong flavor. But as a drinkable beer (that's what you are supposed to do, am I right!?) this is a VERY smooth and a tasty beer. I know I will sound like a heathen but this reminds me of an American lager. Although I'd rather drink this if it was handed to me compared to most popular run of the mill lagers. I'm not wowed by this beer but it is very enjoyable and refreshing. It was very cheap at my local store too. It's a good bargain beer.

Now I'm confused what a Dopplebock is supposed to be like since this came straight from Germany. Now my impression of Dopplebocks are that they aren't that strong in flavor but they are in alcohol content. This is the country that made the Dopplebock. I guess I'll have to try more to find out if this is a fluke.

A: strong body thats black in the room, but not quite opaque. ruby edges reveal
a deep hue when held up to light. creamy head leaves a splochy glass.

S: plums, molasses, nuts, maple, sweet malt, alcohol

T: creamy body is oily slick and quickly coats mouth with a sweet malt flash that gives way to a softer chewier malted milkball quality. vanilla comes through, dark fruit, some maple from the nose, red grapes, chocolate. finishes with a touch of bitter, lingering sugar, and as the beer warms, a barely tart spice.

M: a bit light, and not as chewy as I would like for the style but otherwise nice.

D: I have been impressed by this beer and could enjoy it often, though considering better examples of the style are easy to find, dont know how often I will.